Wind Power Station

red dot: best of the best
red dot award: product design 2008

Don Quixote’s successor
In former times, windmills defined the landscapes almost anywhere. With the invention of the steam engine in the 19th century, however, the use of wind power rapidly lost its significance, only to be reconsidered as an inexhaustible source of energy after the worldwide 1973 oil crisis – as a consequence, wind power stations were set up particularly in coastal regions. The Nordwind wind power station is a high-performance electrical energy-generating system of the latest generation with an output of 850 kW. It works with innovative energy-transmission technology: the power is no longer transmitted to the energy-generating components by means of a mechanical gear train, but by a hydrostatic pump system. This technology allows constructing wind power plants that consist of considerably fewer moving parts than previous plants; they feature a reduced noise level, are more economical and more efficient. This innovative technology also facilitated the design of a completely new form: the Nordwind wind generator system is dimensionally more compact, thus lending it an appearance that lessens its intrusion on the landscape – it blends in like a sculpture into the topography of the surrounding environment. With its sculptural language of form, the power plant self-confidently communicates innovative technology via its external form and so has an emotional effect on the beholder. In addition, with models of different power performance and size, this wind generator system allows for many different applications – it adapts naturally to its environment and thus opens new paths in the use of renewable power-generating concepts in the future.